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What does a 'petrol' chainsaw run on?


Le_Jars
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[quote user="Le_Jars"]As far as I understand it it's a mixture with oil? Is that right? If

so, what petrol and what oil? Thanks, I need to go and buy one, but be

fore-armed as well! :) [/quote]

I am not a user but I have been asked before to bring back some petrol (95) in a petrol can for the lawn-mower.

We also have a bottle of oil bought from the DIY shop where the petrol lawn-mower came from.

I would assume (but not guarantee!) that it's the same for chainsaws...?
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USE MINIMUM OCTANE RATING OF90.

IF REGULAR GRADE IN YOUR AREA IS LOWER THEN USE PREMIUM FUEL LEADEED OR UNLEADED.

IF MACHINE EQUIPED WITHCATALYTIC CONVERTER YOU MUST USE UNLEADED.

USE ONLY QUALITY 2-STROKE ENGINE OIL.

USE YOUR MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS AS POOR QUALITY FETROLOR OIL MAY DAMAGE THE ENGINE,SEALING RINGS,HOSES AND FUEL TANK.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I HAVE A STIHL WHICH RECOMMEND 50 PARTS PETROL TO 1 OIL BY VOLUME.OTHER BRANDS MAY NEED 2 PARTS OIL.

MAKE SURE YOU MIX WELL AND DO NOT PICK UP A CAN OF PETROL AND USE IN ERROR AS THIS WILL KNACKER YOUR ENGINE.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I SHOULD KNOW

I NOW HAVE 2 MACHINES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON,T FORGET SAFETY BOOTS,GOGLES,GLOVES AND PERHAPS SPECIAL TROUSERS AS THESE WEAPONS ARE LETHAL.

 

IF IN DOUBT ASK SOMEONE TO SHOW YOU OR THE SHOP WHERE YOU BUY.

POINTLESS PICKING ONE UP FROM A HYPERMARKET IF YOU HAVE NO ASSISTANCE UNLESS YOU WISH TO INSURE YOURSELF[G]

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If you are buying a new or relatively new one then normal unleaded SP95 with added 2-stroke oil. Stihl littles plastic files of oil which give you the perfect mix when emptied into a stanfard 5 ltre plastic can of petrol.

Some garden appliance shops will sell you petrol/oil mix dtraight from a special pump.

The man in my local shop always assure me that you shouldn't keep the mix for more than twelve months but I must confess that I often do and haven't had a problem yet !

You will also need special oil for your chainsaw. Take a look in the shops and you will see that you can buy special plastic cans with one big compartment for the petrol/oil mix and another smaller one for the chainsaw oil.

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Don't get confused. When you say 'petrol' chainsaw, I assume you mean 2-stroke e.g. 95UL mixed 30 , 40 or 50:1 with 2-stroke oil. There may not be many pure petrol chainsaws about, but there are pure petrol hedgecutters, for example. Easy to be confused. You're right to be forewarned. :)

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  • 1 month later...
there is no perhaps about safety trousers. just seen the guy i had to take to hospital. he had a kickback and spent severals days in hospital and now has a nasty scare on his lower leg  .he was lucky .boots goggles and gloves. no safety trousers!!
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I would never even contemplate using a saw without protective boots and trousers and I think anybody who does is very silly. You should buy the safety gear before you buy the saw. Good quality safety gear will cost you more than the saw probably but as sandt has seen, they might well save a trip to the hospital.

The lower end of the Stihl range are a good buy, light and reliable. 50:1 or 2% mix, use Stihl or Husky oil. Get into the habit of filling up the chain oil reservoir every time you fill up with petrol. See if you can find a pro user to help with basic safety and  maintenance  procedures. Don't take down anything that you feel uncomfortable with, alot can go wrong.

Chris

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The OP was asking about what they run on. We should point out that the fillers on the chainsaw are usually for 2-stroke fuel, premixed; that is, the oil and the petrol are mixed before filling up. The other filler is for oil, but this is thick, sticky lubricating oil for the cutting chain itself, not the engine. Generally the lubricating oil will need to be topped up every time the fuel is topped up.

I've seen many recommendations for Stihl chainsaws and the users seems think they are the best. Like Volvo drivers perhaps? From my experience, I found a cheaper 'own brand' type from Castorama, costing about one third of the price, to be perfectly adequate for home and garden needs so long as the chain is maintained in sharp condition. The warning about protective clothing 'stihl' applies though. [:)] With a cheaper saw you can afford decent protection!  

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I find this thread interesting because we need to buy a chainsaw and we also just took a strimmer (that we bought among other things that came with the house) to the repair shop last week. We were told that we had mixed too much oil; my husband has always generally mixed about 20% oil to the petrol. We were told to mix only about 2%. We will have to be careful when we do buy the chainsaw in more ways than one. Must admit not looking forward to watching my husband that has never used one use it for the first time.

By the way the cost of repair (and clean apparently) to the strimmer was about 95 euros, so lesson learned.

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I'm not brand loyal at all Sid but my requirements from saws are very different to yours. I buy the best in a particular power range that I can, whoever makes them. If you're only going to use a saw occasionally then a cheapy will run the chain and cut a few logs. I'd highly recommend an electric saw, I use them when I want to work inside and the noise and fumes would be untenable, you don't have to worry about leaving petrol for too long which could give carb and starting/running problems. I don't want to be anoraky on the subject at all but I've seen the damage they can do too and it really is horrific, imagine 50 or 60 sharp little knives travelling at 20 metres per second meeting flesh and bone! Chainsaws don't cut the skin nice and cleanly like a knife does, they rake the flesh out, and when the cutters meet bone they smash it, not easily repairable. There was a tree surgeon several years back who just nicked an artery whilst reducing a tree, he was dead before the fire brigade could get him down from the tree.....it happens. If my words could prevent even one ignoramus from hurting themselves then it would have been worth the effort......and the risk of an anorak label.

My final thought, and opinion, is that anybody who even has to ask what a chainsaw runs on shouldn't be using one, period.

I'm more than happy to give free training if anybody is in the Creuse area or wants to travel.

Regards to you all, Chris

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Chris

Don't take exception to my post, I'm merely pointing out that you don't have to buy the most expensive tools. In my younger days I bought top-quality tools for the car etc and they're still as good as new now, a 'Britool' socket set comes to mind which looks as good now as when I bought it in 1966. Tools to last a lifetime means something rather different when the number of years remaining is somewhat less! The quality of cheaper tools has improved remarkably. If you take the example of an angle grinder, you can buy one for less than 30€ which is guaranteed for 2 years; if you run it for 2 years and it gives up the ghost after that it will still have been good value for money.

I don't know why you think you have different saw requirements to me... you didn't ask what I want it for [:)] My only point was that there are cheaper options. The Castorama saw still has the same Oregon chain fitted to more expensive models.

Some people will always buy the most expensive item, I suppose "because they can"; others need to watch the pennies.

Happy sawing.

Sid

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Hi Sid,

I didn't take exception to your post at all. I agree that there are a lot of decent quality cheap tools out there, and as you say, 30 euros for a grinder that has a 2 year guarantee is a great deal. It was wrong of me to assume that you don't have the same requirements from a saw that I do....perhaps we could carve together sometime?

Chris

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[quote user="sid"]

I don't know why you think you have different saw requirements to me... you didn't ask what I want it for [:)]

[/quote]

I think Chris's requirements are a bit different to most of us - perhaps he should have mentioned he carves wooden sculptures, totem poles, gates etc. with his chainsaw - have a look at his website, it's great!

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  • 1 month later...

Like many people I find it can be a mine field of what fuel for this and that ie with or without oil added so I have my oil

plastic can clearly marked chain saw/ strimmer only.  and Ive put a line of x x x x on this can.

 

The lawn mower and car go on unleaded so I dont get mixed up and have the dreaded costly bill by a mistake we all dont need.

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[quote user="Pun"]The lawn mower and car go on unleaded so I dont get mixed up and have the dreaded costly bill by a mistake we all dont need.[/quote]

I once took the lawnmower to the shops when I got it confused and took it instead of the car.  Gosh, did I look foolish when I tried to put the shopping in the grass collecter!

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[quote user="Chris Head"]

I'm not brand loyal at all Sid but my requirements from saws are very different to yours. I buy the best in a particular power range that I can, whoever makes them. If you're only going to use a saw occasionally then a cheapy will run the chain and cut a few logs. I'd highly recommend an electric saw, I use them when I want to work inside and the noise and fumes would be untenable, you don't have to worry about leaving petrol for too long which could give carb and starting/running problems. I don't want to be anoraky on the subject at all but I've seen the damage they can do too and it really is horrific, imagine 50 or 60 sharp little knives travelling at 20 metres per second meeting flesh and bone! Chainsaws don't cut the skin nice and cleanly like a knife does, they rake the flesh out, and when the cutters meet bone they smash it, not easily repairable. There was a tree surgeon several years back who just nicked an artery whilst reducing a tree, he was dead before the fire brigade could get him down from the tree.....it happens. If my words could prevent even one ignoramus from hurting themselves then it would have been worth the effort......and the risk of an anorak label.

My final thought, and opinion, is that anybody who even has to ask what a chainsaw runs on shouldn't be using one, period.

I'm more than happy to give free training if anybody is in the Creuse area or wants to travel.

Regards to you all, Chris

[/quote]

Can I please add my two penniesworth and reiterate what Chris has said about safety. My son trained as a tree surgeon and his friend nearly lost an arm when the saw jumped while starting to cut a branch - in spite of wearing gauntlets and all the correct gear. It frightens me how casually French farmers use their chain saws - no protective clothing or helmets - our neighbour was wearing shorts and sandels the other day while cutting some branches [:-))] They are NOT toys!!

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Our neighbour Claude added to his barn last year. At one point he was using a chainsaw to trim a mortice and tenon joint on an oak beam, no protective gear, standing on a straw bale which was resting on the forklift of his tractor at maximum extension...

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Sounds like standard safety practice, Dick.  Our neighbour nearly sliced his foot off when trimming a tree earlier this year. 

I haven't got the chain-clogging pants but I do like safety boots and heavy gloves when preparing the old firewood.

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The 'guantlets' are simply useless, it's just a pad that protects the back of the left hand. I just can't think of a scenario where the back of my left hand would be cut. In my opinion it's a marketing thing. Fair enough chains snap and whip around, but far more at risk are the face and the upper body, the chain catcher has usually done it's job by then anyhow.

 
"I haven't got the chain-clogging pants but I do like safety boots and heavy gloves when preparing the old firewood"

Most common cuts Cassis are the left leg and left foot cut. So what do you wear for your firewood cutting Cassis? A good old pair of jeans and a hefty pair of boots? Boy that sounds sooo safe!

5 years or more ago I'm working with Andrew and Jane Moores son ( I know they're looking in on this)

I'd had a heavy seasons carving and I needed Joes help to cut firewood. Joe has grown up with chainsaws and is well trained & equipped. I'm beavering away and out of the corner of my eye see Joe sitting on a log. He'd slipped with a 70cc chainsaw and shoved it at full revs into his foot andhe was shocked to hell, but unhurt. His boots at a cost of 120 sterling had saved his foot.

I can do stuff with saws that the pros never even thought of but wouldn't ever use a saw without the best protection possible, sure it's expensive but what cost a limb or your life?

Chris

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